The New York Yankees have added two impact infielders ahead of the trade deadline, but the Yankees may not be done.
New York is still looking to add pitching, whether that’s in the rotation or to solidify the bullpen. Ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline on July 31, MLB analyst Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN shared a trade pitch that sees the Yankees acquiring Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins.
Yankees acquire:
Twins acquire:
The Yankees would solidify the bullpen by acquiring Duran for two prospects, as the Twins will likely be sellers this season.
Duran would be a late-inning reliever for Aaron Boone and could also close games if needed. The right-hander has two more years of club control, which allows Duran to be a key part of the Yankees’ bullpen for three pennant races. Duran is 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA and is 16-for-18 on saves this season with the Twins.
Acquiring the elite reliever with two more years of club control won’t be cheap for the Yankees. Cockcroft has the Yankees giving up their second-ranked prospect in Lagrange, a right-handed pitcher. The 6-foot-7 righty is in Double-A and has risen up the prospect ranks after signing for $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic. He’s 4-2 with a 3.54 ERA in 8 games this season in Double-A.
New York would also trade Riggio, who’s the Yankees’ 10th-ranked prospect. The second baseman projects to reach the majors next season and is hitting .265 with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs in Double-A.
Analyst Explains Yankees-Twins Swap
The Yankees would bolster their bullpen in the proposed deal, while the Twins would do quite well acquiring two top prospects.
It would be a hefty price to pay, but Cockcroft believes it’s a deal the Yankees need to do to solidify the bullpen for the playoffs.
“The Yankees are sorely in need of bullpen help: Among their top five relievers from the Opening Day roster, two have underperformed expectations (Devin Williams and Luke Weaver) and two are sidelined with long-term injuries (Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr.). They rank 21st in bullpen ERA (4.25),” Cockcroft wrote.
“Acquiring Duran will be costly — Lagrange has a similarly filthy fastball to Duran’s and has been dominating in Double-A (2.35 ERA, 38.8 K% in his past six starts) — but why not go big when you’re a defending league champion in need? Duran, with his 100-mph heater, presents a nice contrast in styles to Williams’ Airbender and Weaver’s rising fastball,” Cockcroft added. “Remember, a dominant bullpen was critical to the Yankees’ playoff run last year — theirs had a 2.67 postseason ERA.”
Duran would give Boone another high-leverage reliever to use late in games, which is a need. Although the two prospects would be tough to give up, New York is in a win-now window, and Duran helps them for the next three playoffs.
Yankees GM Wants to Add Pitching
Ahead of the deadline, New York acquired Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario to solidify third base.
Although third base was a clear need, Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman said before the deadline that he would look to add pitching.
“Whether it’s bullpen guys or starting pitchers, it’s just all of it,” Cashman said. “That’s the area. We have people that are capable, but I think it also needs to get some help. And if I can do so, great. But again, there’s no guarantees. We’re going to be fully engaged and see where it takes us. Hopefully, we can run into some opportunities that can benefit us.”
The Yankees are 57-49 and holding onto the top Wild Card spot in the AL.
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